1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and an apparatus for cutting and recovering a bundling body or a wrap for a bundle of articles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to prevent an aggregate or stack of articles from falling apart, the outer circumference of the aggregate of the articles is bundled by means of a bundling body, such as a rope or strapping or so forth. A conventional apparatus for cutting and recovering such bundling body has been disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-631.
The conventional apparatus disclosed in the above-identified publication includes an article holding device including a holding tool for holding one layer of articles bundled by the bundling body, a bundle cutting device provided in the holding tool, an article transferring device for moving the article holding device from an article holding position to an article transferring position, and a bundling body recovering device having a bundling body sucking opening for recovering the cut bundling body.
However, in such conventional device, the bundling body sucking opening of the bundling body recovering device is arranged in the holding tool of the article holding device. The bundling body is cut while the holding tool of the article holding device holds the articles. In conjunction with releasing of the articles by the holding tool at the article transferring position, the already cut bundling body is drawn into the sucking opening of the recovering device for the bundling body for recovery.
However, the prior art encounters certain problems.
The bundling body sucking opening is provided on the holding tool of the article holding device. The bundling body is recovered by sucking and recovering through the sucking opening in conjunction with releasing of the articles by the holding tool. Therefore, upon sucking and recovering the bundling body by the sucking opening, the sucking opening can be placed away from the side portion of the article to lower the certainty of sucking and recovery of the bundling body.
The sucking opening has to have the height of the opening approximately equal to the overall height of the article so that the bundling body can be certainly sucked and recovered even when the bundling position of the bundling body around the article varies in vertical direction. This requires a greater sucking area. Therefore, the capacity of the drawing device must be large to make the bundling body recovering process effective.